Chai Body Scrub

Exfoliation can do wonders for your skin and this chai scrub is amazing! It’s also super easy (and quick) to make and is full of ingredients that you will probably already have in the kitchen! Exfoliation helps to maintain clear, soft skin. This is because our skin cells are regenerating all the time with the dead ones falling away. But sometimes the dead cells cling on and this can lead to blocked pores and and pimples as well as a feeling of rough skin.

Sugar is one of the best natural exfoliants as it it much gentler on the skin than salt or other gritty things used in exfoliators. It is also a natural humectant which means it draws moisture in and contains glycolic acid which encourages cell turnover, generating fresh skin. However, while you should exfoliate regularly to maintain soft, clear skin, you shouldn’t exfoliate more than 2 – 3 times a week as this can lead to damaging healthy skin cells.

But the sugar is not the only beneficial ingredient to this scrub – the spices all have their own benefits too! Cinnamon is highly antiseptic and has soothing properties. Ginger contains an antioxidant called gingerol, “which helps make your skin brighter, tighter and more youthful”. Nutmeg and cloves are anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and can help with skin conditions such as eczema. So all good stuff!

Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup raw sugar (you can also use brown sugar for sensitive skin)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp vanilla extract

orange rind of 2 oranges (optional)

Method

1. Super easy – combine all ingredients in a bowl and transfer them to whatever tub/waterproof vestibule you have! I say the orange rind is optional because the scrub will work perfectly well without it but the orange is a nice addition and helps extract dirt and blackheads form pores.

2. Pick up a little clump of the scrub in your hand when you’re having a bath or shower and rub onto your body in circular movements.

3. Rinse off – there will be residue of the oil left on your skin, don’t wash it away as it will keep the moisture in!